


Today's a Birthday

by Sylvia_Locust



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Childhood Sexual Abuse, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-06
Updated: 2013-01-06
Packaged: 2017-11-23 21:14:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/626583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylvia_Locust/pseuds/Sylvia_Locust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Abby makes a wish as she blows out her candles. Sometimes birthday wishes do come true.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Today's a Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the supernatural death meme prompt: 'Young Bela at the funeral for her parents.' Also written for the h/c bingo prompt 'abuse.'

Abby stares down at the cake, strawberry frosted flowers and glowing white candles.

Fourteen candles.

She looks around the parlor, sees her mom ( _lips pinched in a thin line_ ) , sees her smiling relatives ( _stones for eyes, nothing to see_ ) .

Her father gives her a special smile, just for her. _Now you’re 14 sweet girl_ , the smile says, _and I’ve so much more to teach you_.

She blows out all the candles in a breath.

_Make it stop_ , she wishes. _Please just make it stop_.

 

 

The kiss is dry and chaste, lips pressed together awkwardly, taste of cherry lip gloss and spearmint gum.

_I can take care of them for you_ , she’d said, and Abby didn’t believe the strange new girl but what was a kiss? It cost nothing, meant nothing.

Her father had taught her that.

 

 

The church is chilly, ancient stone walls leaching all the warmth from the April afternoon.

_Because we are but pilgrims in this life_ the minister drones, but Abby doesn’t hear him. She stares straight ahead at the closed caskets that contain the charred remains of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Talbot, Beloved Parents.

Her eyes are dry.

_This wasn’t what I meant_. 

She sees a flash of laughing red eyes.

 

 

Spring’s turned to summer but she’s always cold, Auntie Beth telling her she looks like a waif wrapped up in three sweaters but Abby doesn’t care. Train to the city, librarian giving her a strange look when he reads over the list of books she’d like to see. Checks her for signs of sticky fingers or dirty hands, but she must pass his inspection and she begins her research.

 

 

Abby marches up the lane to the nearest crossroads. Fifteen now and armed with a tin box and a Perrier bottle full of holy water, 500 years of esoteric demon lore rattling around in her head.

“You tricked me,” she says, and the demon looks different but it’s the same, red laughing eyes wrapped in the flesh of another girl.

“It’s what we do.”

“I never summoned you! That’s not _fair!_ ”

The demon shrugs. “A wish is a wish.”

Her composure fractures for the first time in months. One of the last times, before the mask settles into place for good.

“I don’t _deserve_ to go to hell!” Abby shouts.

“Maybe not, maybe so. But the contract is airtight, love.”

Abby stomps away, tears prickling her eyes, then turns to ask one last question.

“Is _he_ there?” she cries. “ _Is_ he??”

The demon looks skyward with a poison-apple smile. “I think he made it through. He was always so good about tithing, you know.”

Abby flings the holy water in the demon’s face just for spite and runs towards home.

Halfway back, heart hammering, fear or fury she’s not sure, the demon catches up with her.

 

 

Twenty-four years and four days, times up, the dogs are barking.

_There might be one way_ it had said nine years ago, and Bela had seized the possibility like a life-raft.

If she were willing to _procure unique items_ for the demon, _just from time to time, luv_ , then maybe it would rip up her contract.

So she rolled the dice. She knew demons lied, but then so do people.

Her father had taught her that, too.


End file.
